At AJ's Urban Grill in Westlake, bald is beautiful (and delicious) for one night

Bald customers received discounted meals Feb. 25 as part of a promotion at AJ's Urban Grill on Detroit Road in Westlake.

Follicly challenged individuals are quick to remind you that bald is indeed beautiful.

But for one night in Westlake, bald was equally delicious.

That's because chrome-domed diners at AJ's Urban Grill ate for free Feb. 25 as part of a special promotion hosted by the restaurant.

General Manager Scott Hornblower said the promotion was highly successful for years at his family's Stonehouse Grill on Center Ridge Road, and he decided to bring it to AJ's Urban Grill to increase early-week business.

"It helped get some new faces in at Stonehouse, so we thought maybe it would work here, too," Hornblower said.

The restaurant, which opened Dec. 3 at the Williamsburg Square Shopping Center on Detroit Road offered bald guests $15 off their meal from 6-9 p.m. excluding alcohol.

Hornblower said the promotion is catchy and a good way to foster the relaxed atmosphere that AJ's strives to achieve.

"People like to bring their dad in and he doesn't know what he's coming for, and then tell him that bald guys eat free," Hornblower said. "It's a way to have fun with it and not take things too seriously

Hornblower added that the servers and wait staff have fun with the promotion as well. "If somebody's half bald, they'll give them half off their meal," he said. "There's always a lot of laughter at the tables"

Not everybody was laughing, however, the time four years ago when a high school swimming team showed up to eat with their heads shaved, Hornblower said.

"There were about 16-18 kids and we gave them all their free meals."

Hornblower's family has been in the restaurant business 38 years and operates on the principles of providing quality food, outstanding customer service and spotless facilities.

"If you get those three things consistently, your customer base will build and build, whether they're bald or not," he said.

On Monday, a row of bald customers sat in separate booths at AJ's finishing their meals.

Rian Giacomarro of Rocky River said a friend had recommended the new restaurant earlier that day. Giacomarro had no idea about the bald promotion until he sat down, but he let his friend know right away.

"When I texted him, he nearly fell over laughing," Giacomarro said.

Scott Thompson, of Westlake, saw a notice about the promotion on the Williamsburg Square sign along Detroit Road on Sunday. He decided to bring his wife, Sunny, up for dinner on Monday.

"If this gets too popular, people are going to start shaving their heads on purpose," Thompson said.

That's pretty much what Specs Sarka and his wife Mary of Cleveland's West Park neighborhood did. Specs got his haircut earlier in the day Monday before stopping in to enjoy a burger.

"They're like the closest thing you can get to eating a prime steak on a bun," he said.

Hornblower said he does not yet know when AJ's will next offer the bald bonus for dine-in guests, but customers can check the restaurant's Web site at ajsurbangrill.com for updates on upcoming promotions.

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